ISLAMABAD: Defending champion Multan Sultans kept their winning streak intact as they defeated Islamabad United on Tuesday by 20 runs in the eighth Pakistan Super League (PSL) match played at the National Stadium Karachi.
Islamabad won the toss and elected to bowl. However, the two-time title winner could not prevent Multan from hitting a huge total of 217 runs even after taking an early wicket of skipper Mohammed Rizwan who had only scored 12 runs.
Opener Shan Masood stayed at the crease and hit 43 runs with a strike rate of 138.71.
While Multan were 78 for 3, their innings was stabilized by Rilee Rossouw (67 off 35 balls) and Tim David (71 off 29 deliveries) who took their team to 188 through their long partnership.
Multan lost another wicket of Khushdil Shah (8) after David’s departure, though they managed to set a huge target of 218 runs for Islamabad at the loss of 5 wickets.
Islamabad’s opening pair, Paul Stirling (19) and Alex Hales (23), tried to set a blistering pace of the innings but could not survive the powerplay.
Captain Shadab Khan was the only batsman who fought back and almost won the match on his own by scoring 91 runs off 42 balls, but he lost his wicket in the 18 over while trying to hit a six.
Shadab took Islamabad’s score to 194/9 before Mohammad Wasim was bowled out by David Willey on 197.
This is the fourth consecutive victory for Multan Sultans in the tournament.
Islamabad United have so far played two matches and defeated Peshawar Zalmi by 9 wickets in their first PSL contest.
Defending champion Multan Sultans beat Islamabad United in high-scoring PSL match
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Defending champion Multan Sultans beat Islamabad United in high-scoring PSL match
- Multan set a huge target of 218 runs for the rival team after losing the toss at the National Stadium Karachi
- Islamabad’s captain Shadab Khan scored 91 runs off 42 deliveries but was caught near the boundary in the 18th over
Pakistan’s president defends ongoing strikes in Afghanistan, urges Kabul to dismantle militants
- Afghanistan on Thursday launched attacks in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous Sunday
- Pakistan’s military says it is only targeting Afghan military installations to avoid civilian casualties
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s president on Monday defended his country’s ongoing military strikes in neighboring Afghanistan, saying Islamabad tried all forms of diplomacy before targeting militants operating from Afghan territory, and called on the Taliban government in Kabul to disarm groups responsible for attacks in Pakistan.
Pakistan earlier said it is in “open war” with Afghanistan, alarming the international community. The border area remains a stronghold for militant organizations including Al-Qaeda and the Daesh (Islamic State) group.
“(The Afghan Taliban) must choose to dismantle the terror groups that survive on conflict and its war economy,” Asif Ali Zardari said during a speech to lawmakers, adding that “no state accepts serial attacks on its soil.”
Afghanistan on Thursday launched attacks in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous Sunday. Since then, Pakistan has carried out operations along the border, with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar claiming the killing of 435 Afghan forces and the capture of 31 Afghan positions.
Kabul has denied such claims.
In Afghanistan, the deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said Pakistan’s military fired mortar shells at a refugee camp in eastern Kunar province, killing three children and injuring three others.
Afghanistan’s defense ministry said Afghan forces carried out strikes targeting a Pakistani military facility near Paktia province, causing “substantial losses and heavy casualties.”
Pakistan’s military did not respond to questions. It has said Pakistan is only targeting Afghan military installations to avoid civilian casualties.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge of violence in recent months and blames it on the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. It operates both inside Pakistan and from Afghan territory.
Islamabad accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of providing safe havens for the TTP, which Kabul denies.
The latest cross-border fighting ended a ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkiye in October. The two sides failed to reach a permanent agreement during talks in Istanbul.
Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s call for talks, saying, “We have never walked away from dialogue.”
The Pakistani leader again accused Afghanistan of acting as a proxy for India by sheltering militant groups.
“Stop being used by another country as a battlefield for their ambitions,” he said.
Zardari cited a recent report from the United Nations Security Council’s monitoring team that described the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan as an extra-regional threat.
